Named after the city of Ballarat. The name is apparently derived from the Aboriginal word 'balaarat' meaning a resting or camping place.

Area and Location Description:

The Division of Ballarat is located to the west of Melbourne. It covers an area of approximately 4 652 sq km from Ballarat in the west to Bacchus Marsh in the east. The division's main centres are Ballarat, the state's largest inland city, and Bacchus Marsh. It also includes the towns of Ballan, Blackwood, Burrumbeet (part), Buninyong, Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford, Myrniong and Trentham. Ballarat shares boundaries with the divisions of Bendigo in the north, Gorton, Lalor and McEwen in the east, Corangamite and Corio in the south and Wannon in the west.